When you want to set sticky goals: 7 points to consider
Many of us embrace some form of stock-taking, goal-setting, or resolution proclaiming in January. I am no exception; I spend a decent amount of time reviewing my past year and thinking about what goals need to move into the next year along with identifying new goals.
While we have the best intentions, many of us don’t quite cross the finish line. According to an article in Inc, 92% of us fail to achieve the New Year goals we set for ourselves.
That percentage seems staggering to me, but I get it. How many of you go to the gym on January 2 and can’t find an open machine? Yet by February 2, it’s no problem. Or you start a new habit in early January only to fall back into old habits by Valentine’s Day, especially if you resolve to give up chocolate.
We have all been there. Why does this happen aside from the obvious reasons…time, busyness, temptations, distractions, and just life? Setting goals, articulating objectives/steps to achieve those goals, and executing relentlessly take a lot of discipline.
So, why do we fail beyond the reason of being too busy? Here are seven things to remember that will help you achieve success and be sure you stick the landing on your goals.
1. Goals should be big but attainable.
We shouldn’t be afraid to set big goals. Goals should be big by nature. Oftentimes, we conflate goals and objectives, but they are, in fact, different. Objectives are smaller steps to achieve our goals. Goals could be a tad scary but not out of reach. Goals may take more than a month to achieve; sometimes, they can take years. This is okay if we see progress. So, don’t be afraid to set goals to lose 50 pounds, write that novel, secure that promotion, build that online community, or run that marathon. You can do these things if we follow the next 6 steps.
2. Align to your why.
Goals need to align with our passion, inspiration, and purpose. Every goal-setting process should start with what you want to do (goal) and why (purpose). I lost 30 pounds using the Noom app (and have kept it off for 3 years), which I highly recommend. I loved the experience because the app pushes you to identify your why using the 5 Whys technique (ask why 5 times to get to the root). So, while I wanted to wear a smaller size pants, my real why was to avoid heart disease, which runs in my family. A big why and a big motivation to stick to my goal!
3. Set goals you can control.
Many times the reason we fail is because we set big goals that we really can’t influence or do much about. So, big is good but we must be able to affect the goal. While I wish for world peace, that COVID would disappear forever, or we have a cooler Summer in 2024, there isn’t a lot I can do to achieve these things alone. I can control my environmental impact and help influence others in their practices. I can also practice kindness and join an advocacy group to inspire others. These are aligned to a bigger purpose but are smaller and more local in their impact. Language matters in setting goals; if it is too big, we will become frustrated and give up altogether.
4. Build a vision for your future.
We may set our what and why, but do we often paint a picture of what success looks like or feels like? To achieve success, it is important to recognize it when it comes. Some are easy to measure: what the scale displays, running a marathon, completing a book, but how do you feel when you get there? Creating a vision board full of photos, gifs, or words of what you will feel when you are successful is incredibly motivating. We need to see the future to create it.
5. Break down your goals.
While goals should be big, we must break them into smaller steps, or objectives, to reach the goal. If you want to run a marathon, but don’t run at all now, you can’t achieve this in 30 days. You must set a schedule to start running. You may set milestones to increase the distance you run or the time to run a certain distance, etc. Writing a book takes some thought to create a plan with milestones: create a mind map, write an outline, identify supporting stories or resources, write chapters 1-3, identify a cover designer, etc. Spend time breaking down your goals with timelines, and be sure to identify obstacles that might prevent you from completing these objectives. Identifying and planning for overcoming obstacles before you meet them will help keep you on track.
6. Write them down and make them visible.
My shortest point. Write everything down and don’t hide your goals, objectives, or vision board. I love planners but they can tend to be put on shelves. We need to see our plan, update it, make checkmarks, draw circles, adhere stickers, or whatever helps you keep this in front of you and active!
7. Don’t set it and forget it.
Finally, don’t set your goals and forget them. As I mentioned above, keep them visible so you can update your progress but don’t be afraid to revisit goals and make changes to them quarterly. Maybe life did take a turn making something unattainable. That’s okay. Put the goal on pause and revisit it later. Maybe an opportunity has come out of nowhere that you want to take advantage of. Set a new goal and retire another one to give you space to be successful (don’t keep adding more goals without removing some).
Goal setting is energizing especially at the beginning of a year. Keep your goals sticky and achieve success by making them big but not impossible and aligned to your ultimate purpose or desire for a legacy. Break them down to see progress. Write them down and always keep them visible. These steps will help ensure success!